Flaunting the rules<\/p>\n
The new Mulia Hotel and the chic cafes dotting Jl. Kemang Raya
\nboth flaunt Jakarta's zoning rules. Both are major tests for the
\ncity administration. At stake are its integrity and public image.
\nHow it handles, and resolves, these problems could determine how
\nmuch public respect and support the administration can count on
\nin the future. They are litmus tests for new Governor Sutiyoso,
\nand the success of his leadership in the next five years could
\nhinge on this.<\/p>\n
Mulia Hotel and the Kemang cafes deviate from Jakarta's city
\nplanning. The 40-story Mulia Hotel is built in the Senayan
\ndistrict which is intended for sports facilities. The original
\nplan had been for an athletes village with a building no taller
\nthan four stories. The cafes on Jl. Kemang Raya should not be
\nthere either. Kemang, according to the city planning, has been
\ndesignated as a residential area.<\/p>\n
But that is where any similarity between the two ends.<\/p>\n
In the case of Mulia Hotel, there was a clear intention from
\nthe start to flaunt zoning rules, apparently even with the
\nconsent of some agencies in the administration. Somebody in the
\nadministration had given the go ahead for the developer to build
\na 16-story hotel. The contractor went further, and turned it into
\na 40-story building. Hotel Mulia was inaugurated by President
\nSoeharto in time for last month's Southeast Asian Games, and was
\na showpiece structure of the Games. The scandal behind the
\nconstruction only surfaced to the public after the Games
\nfinished.<\/p>\n
In the case of the Kemang cafes, that intent of breaking the
\nrules is missing. Cafe owners and administration officials alike
\nappeared to have accepted that the presence of these chic
\neateries were legitimate because they had the necessary licenses.
\nThere have been no complaints from residents as the main road
\ngradually turned into one of Jakarta's favorite night spots over
\nthe years.<\/p>\n
It was only in March that the administration became aware of
\nthe existing zoning rules. The administration, then still under
\nGovernor Surjadi Soedirdja, vowed to close the cafes and restore
\nKemang to its original function. A few small eateries and shops
\nhave been sealed by the administration since then. But should
\ncafe owners, who have invested heavily and are employing hundreds
\nof people, be punished for an oversight by the administration?<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso now appears to have conceded that the Kemang
\nbusinesses can stay open, and city planning would be adjusted
\naccordingly to make the district into a limited commercial zone.<\/p>\n
The city administration appears to have also accepted that
\nMulia Hotel's 40-story building is here to stay, provided it pays
\na fine. The developer has accepted the blame and is ready to pay
\nthe penalty. But the problem does not end there. Work already has
\nbegun on the construction of a second tower adjacent to the hotel
\nby the same developer. From the name \"tower\", one can assume that
\nit is yet another high-rise building, therefore making it another
\nconscious violation of the zoning rules.<\/p>\n
In the popular Monopoly board game, a player who goes to jail
\ncan pay a fine and continue playing, or else miss one or two
\nturns. The developer of the new tower is doing just that. Break
\nthe rule again, pay the fine, and continue the construction.<\/p>\n
The way that the Mulia Hotel developer flaunts zoning rules
\nsays a lot about the sorry state of the city's regulations, and
\nthe administration's seeming inability to enforce them. Sure,
\nrules are meant to be broken, but rules are also meant to be
\nenforced -- and the punishment that comes with those rules is
\nalso meant to be applied and to deter future violations. One can
\nonly wait in wonder how the administration will get out of this
\none without losing too much face.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/flaunting-the-rules-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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